This Crestone and Beyond Journal will introduce some expanded information about our obesity problem and associated metabolic concerns. This will be a biochemical follow-up to the prior health editorial Journal, and will delve into the subject of mitochondrial chemistry, and ways to enhance this important life chemistry. I’ll cover micronutrients, food and eating ideas, and some lifestyle practices which help mitochondrial health.
If you are not familiar with the cellular organelle known as the mitochondrion, then this writing is as good a place as any to begin your study of what many consider to be the functional place where biochemical health begins.
There are many good references in the additional reading recommendations at the end of this writing. Many of these references deal with the subject of using the ketogenic diet in cancer therapy, as well as in therapy for other disease states. The ketogenic diet is an important therapeutic consideration, and one day soon it may become more widely accepted and practiced as a foundational approach in cancer therapy cases, as well as a beneficial diet for other disease conditions.
The ketogenic diet is beneficial because it is beneficial for the health and optimal function of the mitochondria. However, there are many other important considerations for how we can enhance mitochondrial health.
Think of the mitochondria as the most important cellular organelle to maintain in good health. All biochemical, cellular, and organ life flows from the mitochondria whose workings entail the metabolism of oxygen, fats, carbohydrates, and protein to make the energy currency of life known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
This writing has origins in my past experience and clinical study of the obesity issue ever since I performed a series of gastric bypass surgeries during my surgical residency training in Baltimore in the early 1980’s, a time period when morbid obesity was just beginning to hold sway in social consciousness and population epidemiological trending.
One of my surgical professors, T. Brannon Hubbard, M.D., was known for this type of surgery, and so we surgical residents participated in kind when we rotated onto his service. It was a great way to learn how to operate in the difficult confines of the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. However, since those days, I never again performed gastric bypass surgery, now known as bariatric surgery. I have tried to interest patients in metabolic accountability practices instead.
This Journal writing details some of the biochemical workings of the cellular organelle known as the mitochondrion. More than one mitochondrion is referred to in the plural, or, mitochondria. I’ll use this latter terminology.
This Journal writing will introduce a number of basic facts about mitochondria and mitochondrial health which you can safely begin to incorporate into your lifestyle practices. As stated, the mitochondria are the most important cellular organelle to take care of when considering one’s physical health. This is the place in the cell that you want to target and assist above all other cell site workings. All life flows from good mitochondrial health and function.
I have been trying to interest clients in mitochondrial health for the past 15 years. Here is some expanded information which I have gained along the way.
Mitochondrial Biochemistry
The mitochondria are the organelles in the cellular cytoplasm where oxygen, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are metabolized through the umbrella process of oxidative phosphorylation via the Kreb’s cycle and the electron transport chain to produce the energy molecule of life known as adenosine triphosphate, or, ATP. These 2 biochemical pathways are important enough to have resulted in the awarding of several Nobel prizes to several great scientists.
Think of the mitochondria as the energy factories of cellular life. Every biochemical process in our cells, and in our lives, is dependent on healthy and robust production of ATP. ATP is the central molecule of life energy at the cellular level. Mitochondrial health is a cornerstone of good health and vitality.
Here is a collection of many more images of mitochondria to help you visualize this very important hub of life.
Estimates have it that there are over 1 quadrillion mitochondria in our body. This number of mitochondria comprise an estimated 10 percent of our total body mass, and they produce one’s body weight in ATP every day. In addition to generating ATP, mitochondria are responsible for apoptosis (programmed cell death), as well as serving as important regulators of gene expression.
Mitochondria exist in an interconnected network inside of the cell. This is effectively a power grid which allows mitochondria to rapidly communicate and distribute energy through your body’s cells. If part of the mitochondrial grid stops working, there is a mitochondrial mechanism which acts like a circuit breaker, cutting the faulty section off from the rest of the grid. This allows the rest of the functional grid to continue producing ATP.
If all of the correct intracellular chemicals are present to assist the Kreb’s cycle and electron transport chain in the production of ATP we can garner a maximum theoretical yield of 38 molecules of ATP per pass through the pathways. This number is customarily reduced (in the literature) to 30 molecules of ATP per chain reaction due to mitigating and neutralizing factors at work in the cellular dynamics.
As it turns out, 30 molecules of ATP per cycle process is ample energy for cellular vitality and intelligent cell expression. If the production of ATP drops off due to insufficient cellular biochemistry, then we have varieties of mitochondropathy; a subject now gaining in traction and recognition in the biochemical and nutritional circles of research and clinical application. It is likely that a great many more clinical disorders and aging parameters will be connected to mitochondropathy causality, if not all of them.
The chemicals which are considered to be essential co-factors for mitochondrial production of ATP, and will be covered in the writing below, are:
- B vitamins
- Magnesium
- Carnitine
- Co-enzyme Q10
- Lipoic acid
- Omega fatty acids
- D-ribose
- Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)
Critical to the production of ATP in the mitochondria and also to the production of DNA and RNA, ribose is a 5 carbon sugar which is essential for our healthy and energetic lives. You can see some technical information on this sugar here, as well as in an informative writing appended to the end of this Journal posting in the References.
D-ribose is a five-carbon sugar, and it’s completely safe to consume even for diabetics because it has no impact on blood glucose. It gets into the cells and converts into the adenosine base, which goes on to have the phosphate ions attached to it to create ADP and ATP.
Regarding Coenzyme Q10, the active form of CoQ10 is the reduced form known as ubiquinol. It is the body’s most powerful fat soluble antioxidant. Ubiquinone is the oxidized form of CoQ10 and must be recycled back into ubiquinol. As we age past 30 years, the body’s ability to make ubiquinol in the liver declines. Pharmaceutical usage also negatively impacts our ability to make ubiquinol.
Here is a list of some very commonly used pharmaceuticals which reduce our ability to make ubiquinol:
- Allergy medicines
- Antacids
- Antiarrhythmics
- Antibiotics
- Antidepressants
- Blood thinners
- Blood pressure drugs
- ACE Inhibitors
- Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists
- Beta-blockers
- Diuretics
- Cholesterol reducers (including fibrates), but the worst is the statin group of drugs
- Diabetes medications
- Psychiatric drugs
Daily dosing of ubiquinol is 100 to 300 mg./day depending on your age, disease conditions, and other co-morbid problems like pharmaceutical use.
There are several other chemicals which are also very important in assisting mitochondrial health.
A non essential, but very helpful co-factor utilized in ATP production is creatine. Both carnitine and creatine are present only in meat, or in nutritional supplements. This becomes a rather important consideration for vegetarians and vegans.
Another very important molecule which protects mitochondria from oxidative stress and assists in mitochondrial biogenesis (creation of new mitochondria) is pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). By supporting mitochondrial biogenesis, PQQ is critical for the promotion of healthy aging and optimal energy production by the mitochondria. This molecule is very important in brain and heart health, as well as recovery from stroke and heart attack events. PQQ also helps recycle glutathione, which is the body’s most powerful antioxidant.
Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a vitamin-like substance and a cousin to CoQ10. PQQ helps with mitochondrial biogenesis. The greater the number of mitochondria you have, the more energy your cells are able to produce, and the better they function overall. So, having sufficient amounts of PQQ encourages the proliferation of mitochondria.
See Reference #61 below for more information on PQQ.
Resveratrol also assists in mitochondrial biogenesis. The molecular basis of mitochondrial biogenesis resides somewhat in the fact that mitochondria are the only organelles which contain their own DNA. This DNA is of maternal origin. Think on your mother’s energy dynamics for clues to your own mitochondrial health and bio-energy dynamics.
The most metabolically active organs in the body are the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. These organs have the highest number of mitochondria per cell. The heart comes in with 2000-2500 mitochondria per cell, for instance. In contrast, fat cells only have about 10 mitochondria per cell. Interestingly, red blood cells have no mitochondria; a fact which may be related to their normal life span of only 120 days.
If a person is obese with an increased amount of adipose tissue to carry, the sheer number of fat cells present will create a differential skewing of the usage of the essential mitochondrial co-factors by the excess of the fat cells’ mitochondria. In the ensuing numbers fallout, there may not be ample mitochondrial co-factor biochemistry to supply and run the more life critical high metabolizing organ cells, which have greater numbers of mitochondria, at full energy capacity.
Specialized labs like SpectraCell Laboratories offer an intracellular nutrient profile study which is helpful in discovering co-factor deficiency. This study analyzes for all of the 6 essential co-factors listed above, plus other very important cellular micronutrients. Other laboratories like Genova Diagnostics and Great Plains Laboratory offer organic acid assays which give indication of abnormalities in mitochondrial metabolism. Here is more information on organic acid testing in assessing mitochondrial function. Finally, a new lab called Mitoswab offers a oral swab testing to assess electron transport chain chemistry.
A deficiency of mitochondrial function due to either nutritional co-factor insufficiency, or due to concomitant disease state toxicities, will effect optimal production of ATP. The ability to burn fat for energy will fall off due any kind of mitochondrial dysfunction. Likewise, most disease conditions will be improved by improving mitochondrial efficiency.
I have recommended supplementation of individual mitochondrial substrates as part of my nutritional recommendations for the past 15 years. My recommendations were never received well by oncologists, or their staff personnel. In past times my patients who had cancers and were undergoing chemotherapy would often tell me that their oncology team of chemodrug providers did not understand why I was recommending the same list of (mitochondrial) micronutrients to everyone who was undergoing chemodrug treatments.
Patients were told to stop the mitochondrial micronutrients I had recommended. The oncologists, as well as their uninformed staff, simply did not understand the basic biochemistry of how a cell lives well, or does not live so well. When I informed patients that cancer cells are obligate sugar feeders, the same patients also continued to inform me about the candy which was offered in every oncologist’s waiting room.
Patients receiving chemoRx for cancer treatment have better responses and less toxicity when they are also using good micronutrients during treatment. Please refer to the Journal posting entitled Cancer Therapy Today where I develop this important theme in more detail.
Conventional health providers could do a lot of good for their patients if they were to shift more into recommending nutritional biochemistry instead of just toxic pharmaceutical biochemistry.
The only nutritional supplement line I currently recommend for clients is Designs for Health. This company has formulated the best therapeutic compounds I have been able to find, all in one product line. The excellence is based on biochemical science, nutrient purity, and ingenious formulations, as well as absorption and assimilation considerations. This is the nutritional product line which is preferred by most holistic functional medicine practitioners. The products seem to work rather well, and practitioners appreciate this, as do the patients.
Examples of essential mitochondrial nutritional supplements from this product line which I recommend are:
A separate composite product contains all of the above, plus resveratrol and stabilized curcuminoids. These 2 additions assist in mitochondrial regeneration and biogenesis. Please see the description of Mitochondrial NRG. This supplement is good for daily maintenance of healthy mitochondrial function. It does not contain the omega fatty acids, which would have to be used separately.
The effectiveness of mitochondrial function is also enhanced by the following co-factors which assist in enhanced ATP production, generation of new mitochondria, and preservation of existing mitochondria:
- Creatine
- Pyroquinoline quinone (PQQ)
- Carnosine, as is found in Metabolic Synergy
- Geranylgeraniol, as is found in these products
The product descriptions of each of these supplements, which can be seen in the links, will assist further understanding. An excellent overview of the importance of PQQ can be seen in Reading Reference #31 at the end of this writing.
Vegans and vegetarians will inevitably suffer some degree of mitochondropathy problems due to deficiencies of those micronutrients which are abundant in meat: carnitine, creatine, carnosine, vitamin B12, and iron. While iron, best obtained from meat, is not directly important in mitochondrial function, it is very important in oxygen transport to the mitochondria, because it is the central element of the oxygen transport molecule hemoglobin.
The final modulator of mitochondrial function that I want to include here is the master hormone melatonin, which has an impressive array of functions in our lives. Aside from regulating sleep-wake cycles and regulating the thymus gland and the immune system, melatonin also plays a very important role in mitochondrial health and function. Melatonin, which is produced in the brain’s pineal gland, is also a powerful antioxidant and seems to act as a regulator of mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Please see reference #25 in the list of references below for more information on melatonin in this regard.
Designs for Health offers 4 different melatonin formulations:
- Melatonin…a 3 mg. tablet which can be split for smaller dosing
- Melatonin SRT…a timed release formula to assist sleep throughout the night
- Insomnitol Chewables…a tablet form that melts in your mouth for faster oral absorption, and contains other sleep enhancing ingredients.
Please keep in mind that the purpose of mitochondria is to make the energy molecule of life, ATP, abundantly available to the cell by burning oxygen, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Mitochondrial health is a very important consideration in every cellular process; from DNA replication and repair, to telomere health, to protein synthesis in the ribosome, to cell membrane integrity…and just everything else in the life of a cell that can be thought of.
As we age, our body produces fewer mitochondria. And when we burn carbohydrates for fuel, the mitochondria suffer more damage from free radicals caused by reactive oxygen species. The body was designed to run more efficiently on fats than on carbs. In shifting our metabolism to what is called nutritional ketosis, we optimize mitochondrial function and the body’s ability to burn body fat.
The Ketogenic Diet
Mounting research suggests nutritional ketosis, which is the burning of fat for fuel by the mitochondria, may be the answer to a long list of health concerns. Burning fat as fuel is more efficient than burning carbohydrates for fuel. Fat burning by the mitochondria produces less toxic by-products in the cell which may otherwise damage DNA and DNA expression. Abnormal DNA expression causes abnormal cell life activity, and abnormal cell growth patterns.
The key to a ketotic diet is to eat less carbohydrates and proteins, and to eat more good fats.
The goal of a ketogenic diet plan is to improve well being through a metabolic change in which the primary cellular fuel source switches from carbohydrate based fuels (glucose and other simple sugars) to fat fuels and fat metabolism products called ketones. This fuel burning also occurs in the mitochondria and is achieved through a metabolic process called ketogenesis, and a body state called ketosis.
Ketosis is a normal metabolic pathway in which the body cells utilize ketones to make energy, instead of relying on sugar or carbohydrate. Humans developed an evolutionary ability to burn ketones as an adaptation to periods of time when food was unavailable. In like thinking, intermittent fasting is a healthy practice to incorporate in your lifestyle from time to time. It actually improves mitochondrial regeneration and the biogenesis of new mitochondria.
When your body is able to burn fat for fuel, your liver creates water-soluble fats called ketones that burn far more efficiently than carbohydrates. Ketone burning creates far less oxidation damage by reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals; both of which damage your cellular and mitochondrial cell membranes, proteins, and DNA.
To start a ketogenic diet the first step is to eliminate packaged, processed foods, sodas, and anything of a junk food and fast food nature. The emphasis is on real whole foods, plenty of healthy fats and as few net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) as possible. This typically involves dramatically reducing or temporarily eliminating all grains and any food high in sugar, particularly fructose, but also galactose (found in milk) and other added and natural sugars.
Ketogenic diets usually involve getting fat intake up to about 70-75% of total daily calories. Protein is limited to about 20-25% of calories, and carbohydrates are reduced to about 5-10% of daily calories. When eating like this our body shifts into burning ketones which is a more efficient fuel for the brain and other organs. Food cravings diminish and weight loss ensues.
Some good fats to use in a ketogenic diet are: olive oil, coconut oil, coconut butter, butter, ghee, avocados, nuts and seeds, omega 3 fats from deep cold water fish, grass fed meat, eggs from free range chickens, MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides), and other fats as is seen on this keto food resource page. There are now a number of very good ketogenic diet books available.
A great deal of research is being done on ketosis as it relates to disease. Ketone bodies have some very beneficial effects on the human body, and elevating one’s blood levels of ketone bodies is an effective treatment for many disease conditions because it improves the function of cellular energy pathways and mitochondrial health.
Ketogenic diets are now being used to treat medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and other conditions. The success of the ketogenic diet treatments is rooted in these cellular effects which are produced in the mitochondria as they shift to burning more fat as the fuel source to make ATP in a cleaner fashion with less oxidative damage to cellular constituents.
Ketones in the blood can be increased by using exogenous ketone supplements which contain the main ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate. It is best to get elevated insulin levels under control first in those with this problem before using exogenous ketone supplements. A preferred supplement from Designs for Health is Keto-Nootropic which is designed to supply high ketones plus some ginseng to improve brain function. See reference #47 below for more reading on ketones and the use of exogenous ketone supplements.
Our cells replicate and replenish themselves at the rate of about 10 million cells per second. This means that 10 million cells are coming on-line as 10 million cells are going off-line in every second. We become a new cellular specimen about every 5-6 months, with the exception of the more slowly metabolically active bone matrix, which takes a few years.
You can think of a 5-6 month period as a time period to practice deeply nourishing the cellular matrix. The best cellular organelle to establish a nourishing health practice around is the mitochondria. If the mitochondria is taken care of, then the DNA will also be so nourished, and all cellular life will be enhanced.
Here is a very nicely worded and simple reading on 10 Health Benefits of Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diets.
Here is a nice visually oriented article on how to eat on a ketogenic diet…A keto diet for beginners…this whole article is really helpful, and is recommended.
Apoptosis, Autophagy, and mTOR Signaling
Efficient cellular turnover is assisted by the normal and important cellular process known as apoptosis. This is the term for programmed cell death. If programmed cell death does not occur in a normal fashion, or if the cell does not apoptose should it become abnormal in its DNA repair, replication, and cellular expression, then abnormal or chaotic cell growth can be initiated and promoted. An example of chaotic cell growth and expression which everyone is affected by in some manner is cancer cell growth.
If the mitochondria are not producing energy efficiently, for any reason, then normal apoptosis will not occur.
Normal apoptosis is influenced by many factors, the most important of which is our dietary choices. The worst dietary style is the high carbohydrate diet. Cancer cells are obligate sugar feeders, and so they will thrive in a sugar, or high carbohydrate, biochemistry. Cancer cells do not have metabolic flexibility and cannot adapt to using ketones as energy, which your normal cells can do. Once your body enters a state of nutritional ketosis, the cancer cells starve away into their own death.
Thus, cancer cells can be weakened and eliminated by taking away their sugar sources. You can look up the ketogenic diet as an example of such an approach. Once again, here is one of the best ketogenic diet resource websites. Ketogenic dieting is becoming specialized. There are now 5 different types of ketogenic diets which are applicable for differing considerations. Here is a page which explains the different types of keto diets. In addition to these ketogenic variants, it has long been known that fasting is a sure way to improve health outcomes. Here is a study summary on the benefits of fasting which was conducted at the University of Southern California.
The editors over at Southern Living (see the prior Journal editorial) may consider running a special edition on such health thinking in order to make up for the kinds of consumerist toxicities they are currently promoting. This just seems like a balanced thing to do, but our overwrought post WWII consumerist trends currently do not support an expression of global and individual health by practicing minimalism. The current addictive promotion of consumerist trends is unsustainable for the planet. This consuming trend is being driven by peoples’ insecurities, acquisitiveness, and for some people it boils down to greed. This is a type of cancer energetic in and of itself. People can opt and choose to consume fewer resources by practicing minimalism. It is not necessary to have so much stuff in one’s life.
The initiation and promotion of chaotic cell expression (cancer and other diseases) is likely assisted in part by mitochondrial dysfunction due to insufficient mitochondrial co-factors. This hypothesis is a reasonable and logical one, as it currently relates to apoptosis chemistry. However, it remains to be more fully elucidated in regards to other aspects of mitochondrial biochemistry. In addition to healthy mitochondrial function, vitamin D and melatonin are also important supporters of healthy apoptosis.
One of the key controlling mechanisms for ongoing normal apoptosis is a gene site known as the p53 gene. This gene site, in turn, is largely regulated by melatonin, whose other functions of assisting mitochondrial health were mentioned above. Many technical articles on the subject of p53 gene regulation by melatonin have been published. Here is one example. An informative and compelling presentation of a collection scientific studies on the value of high dose melatonin in the optimization of antioxidation and treatment of cancer can be seen at this link.
Mitochondria also support the important cellular process known as autophagy. This process involves the breakdown and recycling of old and excessive cellular components. Both apoptosis and autophagy are very important processes to insure ongoing health of cell lines. The role of inadequate apoptosis and autophagy in the origination and promotion of cancer is an active area of research.
As one can learn to wean from the addiction of carbohydrate over-consumption, one can also begin the health practice of assisting robust mitochondrial production of ATP. This will insure for maximum vitality, health, fat cell burning, weight loss, and detoxification.
I should state something which is well accepted in functional medicine nutrition circles , metabolomics circles, and paleo lifestyle circles: fat consumption is not the main culprit in weight gain. Carbohydrate consumption is actually the problem to consider. Biscuits are almost pure carbs, and so biscuits and “biscuit poisoning” took the editorial hit in the previous Journal writing. The best diet style is one which is higher in fats, much lower in carbohydrates, and much lower in protein, as was expressed above.
By limiting protein consumption to only what your body needs, you suppress an important metabolic pathway called mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), also known as mechanistic target of rapamycin. Suppression of mTOR will lower cancer risk. The upper limit of protein consumption is 1 gram of protein per kilogram of lean body weight per day. To suppress mTOR you should limit protein consumption to 0.5 to 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body weight per day. Your kilogram weight can be calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2 pounds per kilogram. You should calculate this based on what your lean body weight should be.
Excessive protein can also be converted into body fat, and into sugar via various metabolic pathways. Net carb restriction normalizes the insulin pathway while protein restriction normalizes the mTOR pathway, both of which are important for optimal health. Cancer is just one expression of the same metabolic problem found in most other degenerative diseases. The same pathways are involved in most diseases.
mTOR signaling pathways are rather complex as these images will show. It is best to cycle in and out of high fat vs. low fat and high protein vs. low protein dieting. The biochemical benefits are accrued in the re-feeding phase of the cycle. In order to get to this phase one must first enter the stage of deep calorie restriction. Such cycling helps reset mitochondrial sensitivity and other important hormonal cellular signaling pathways which aids in weight control and lean muscle mass gain.
The Influence of Excess Iron on Mitochondrial Health
Iron also plays an important role in mitochondrial function, and contrary to popular belief, excessive iron levels are far more prevalent than iron deficiency. Virtually all men over the age of 16 and post-menopausal women are at risk of high iron. Menstruating women are protected since they lose blood, and hence iron, each month. While most people damage their mitochondria by eating a high-carb, low-fat diet and/or excessive protein, elevated iron levels can cause profound mitochondrial damage as well.
People who have hemochromatosis, an iron storage disease, or who have the HFE gene mutation which predisposes them to hemochromatosis, are at risk for high serum iron levels.
Because iron is a strong pro-oxidant, high iron levels enhances oxidation in the mitochondria, creating high levels of damaging reactive oxygen species and free radicals. Elevated serum iron can be easily improved. Simply check your iron level along with a serum ferritin test, and if your levels are high, donate blood two or three times a year to maintain a healthy level. Ferritin is a protein in the blood which stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion.
An ideal iron ferritin level is between 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Below 20 ng/mL is a deficiency state, and above 60 or 80 ng/mL is too high. Lowering serum ferritin, the transport protein of iron will lower serum iron levels. Normal iron levels are 50-160 micrograms/deciliter in men and 40-155 micrograms/deciliter in women.
More Biohacking for Mitochondrial Health
Aside from cyclical ketosis dieting and cyclical mTOR activation, other types of biohacking to improve mitochondrial function include intermittent fasting, infrared light exposure (sunlight), cold thermogenesis, and high impact exercises such as rebounding or using vibrational power plate platforms.
An important biochemical modulator which you will be hearing more about in the future is a chemical known as PGC-1-alpha. This is a cellular signaling molecule which is activated by cold exposure and exercise. It is very important in ongoing mitochondrial health. I have listed a few references below for you. See references #24 and #25.
Environmental toxins inhibit mitochondrial function. Such toxins can be natural ones, such as mold, or synthetic ones such as the 100,000 types of petrochemical derivatives which have arisen in the post WWII consumerist and technological splurge. Glyphosate, used in GMO crops, is a particularly potent mitochondrial and cellular toxin. The other prominent form of environmental toxin which has taken over in the age of modernity is all types of electromagnetic frequency (EMF) smog. I think the most toxic of the EMF emitters is cell phones.
There are many other kinds of EMF which have infiltrated our lives. We are now awash in an ocean of such radiation exposure. One should consider means to mitigate and reduce one’s exposure to such. Avoid holding your cell phone any closer than 2 feet from your head as its high levels of microwave radiation will poison your mitochondria by increasing peroxynitrate production. I have provided a couple of links about EMF exposure to helpful articles on this website in the Reference reading below.
There are some important baseline lab studies which are helpful in understanding one’s basic biochemistry energy metabolic considerations. It is very helpful to request a proper thyroid panel (TSH, free T4, free T3, a T3 Uptake, and a Reverse T3), a fasting insulin, a fasting leptin, and an adrenal stress index (ASI) from your practitioner to make sure that these basic parameters of metabolism are normal. The ASI should be a salivary study, not a blood study. Holistic functional medicine types of practitioners understand this difference, and can help you get started with the right testing.
Genetic testing, such as a 23andMe panel, is also very helpful. This panel tests for a key mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme known as superoxide dismutase (SOD). Mutations in this enzyme are ubiquitous, but the type and combinations of SOD mutations are helpful to know. Here is a brief description of SOD.
Last, but not least, please consider this simple visualization…Imagine that you are a tiny submicroscopic person and you get to take a tour inside of your cells. Or imagine that you can project your consciousness inside of a cell. When you are inside of a cell, you would be able to see the entire workings of the cell.
You would be able to see it because all of the biochemical reactions of energy production and exchange create and spin off biophotonic light which would illuminate your viewing of the amazing intricacies and beauty of cellular life. All of the adjacent cells would also be teeming with Light.
This cellular light is a manifestation of a divinely intelligent Consciousness…That which is who we are.
Signing off from Crestone and Beyond.
You are full of Light…
Helpful Reading and References:
- Building and Refurbishing Mitochondria for Cognitive, Muscular and Metabolic Health…posted here on 8-3-23, pharmacist researcher Kelly Heim, Ph.D. delivers an excellent 52 minute presentation on mitochondria. This is the best presentation and slide collection on this subject that I seen, to date, and is highly recommended. This presentation is oriented to health professionals and lay public alike.
- Tripping Over The Truth, by Travis Christofferson…published in 2014, this book details the story of “the return of the metabolic theory of cancer and illuminates a new and hopeful path to a cure.” This book is a must read piece of well written scientific investigative journalism for anyone who has any of the diseases which can be helped by assisting one’s mitochondrial health, and that would be most diseases, not just cancer. See reference #15 below for a more in-depth explanation of this book and the ketogenic diet from the Mercola website.
- Cancer as a Metabolic Disease, by Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D….published in 2012. This 400 page text is written by a professor of biology at Boston College and covers the subject of cancer’s true origins in technical detail. Chapter 11 is entitled “Mitochondria: The Ultimate Tumor Suppressor.” See reference #16 below for an informative interview of Dr. Seyfried.
- Fat for Fuel, A Revolutionary Diet to Combat Cancer, Boost Brain Power, and Increase Your Energy by Joseph Mercola, D.O….published in 2017 offers summary perspectives on the chemistry of the ketogenic diet, and how to correctly incorporate a ketogenic diet in your life. This is one of the best writings on mitochondrial health, and therefore the health of the body.
- The Ketogenic Kitchen by Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly…published in 2016 by 2 authors who used the ketogenic diet to overcome and heal their melanoma and breast cancer challenges. This is one of many good ketogenic cookbooks.
- The Keto Diet, The Complete Guide to a High Fat Diet by Leanne Vogel…published in 2017, another excellent cookbook and informational standard about the ketogenic diet.
- Keto Coconut Fat Bombs…a nice recipe for a tasty treat to get you through the day on a ketogenic diet.
- Cancer Therapy Today…a writing on this website about problems with and solutions for today’s cancer therapy problem.
- Your Personal Genetic Analysis…a writing on this website about how to do a simple and very informative genetic analysis.
- The Dangers of Cell Phones…a writing on this website about a very common and very potent toxin.
- The Smorgasbord Melange of EMF Delights…another website writing about EMF hazards which are hard on mitochondrial health.
- Back to Basics: Mitochondria
- Effects of Stress and Mitochondrial Health
- Rejuvenating Mitochondria with PQQ
- CoQ10–A Nutritional Powerhouse for Mitochondrial Health
- Exploring D-Ribose
- Melatonin in Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Related Disorders
- PGC-1-alpha and exercise
- PGC-1-alpha: a key regulator of energy metabolism
- Dr. Perlmutter, M.D. interviews researcher Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., on the science of the ketogenic diet.
- Ketosis & Parkinson’s Disease: Improving Symptoms with a Ketogenic Diet…Dr. Perlmutter explains a small study presented in the journal Neurology which showed improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms when patients were placed on a ketogenic diet.
- Revolution Health Radio: The Ketogenic Diet and Cancer…holistic and functional medicine researcher and commentator Chris Kresser posts a nice summary of considerations involving the use of ketogenic dieting in cancer therapy.
- Antibiotics and Mitochondria–You Need to Know This…Dr. David Perlmutter explains new evidence (8-15-2017) that common classes of antibiotics damage mitochondria and induce more reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage. The use of oral N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) as an antioxidant mitigates this damage.
- Tetrahydrocurcumin mitigates mitochondrial dysfunction and brain cell death associated with hyperhomocysteinemia…one benefit of using curcumin.
- New study demonstrates fat intake is associated with an overall lower mortality and a lower risk of heart disease
- Ketones–Understanding These Precious Molecules…an excellent brief summation of ketones which includes a very good exogenous ketone supplement…Keto-Nootropic, from Designs for Health.
- Cuckoo for Ketones…a nice article on ketones from the people at Designs for Health.
- The ‘Odd’ Repercussions of Low Magnesium…a mineral which is critical for mitochondrial production of ATP, magnesium deficiency has a number of odd symptoms.
- Alarmist Headline Alert: Do Low Carb Diets Cause Birth Defects?…here is some clarity on this subject.
- 20 Best Foods for the Keto Diet…mainstream media weighs in on good keto foods. #16, the tomato, is not a great choice
- Rejuvenating Mitochondria with PQQ…a short writing with many nice links which reference the importance of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). This is an important nutrient to consider using for mitochondrial health. Here is the Mito PQQ product from Designs for Health.
- Optimizing Oxidation in the Care of Chronically Ill Patients…a 1 hour presentation about the science and many studies covering the value of high dose melatonin. This is a very informative and compelling presentation, based on the studies cited. Melatonin is an important antioxidant in mitochondrial health.
- Combination of Geranylgeraniol + Ubiquinol to Support Mitochondrial Function…”Geranylgeraniol (GG) is another physiologically essential molecule that works synergistically with CoQ10. GG complements the actions of ubiquinol, as it is a precursor in the synthesis of CoQ10 and many other functional cell metabolites and signaling molecules.”
- Fueling Mitochondria for Illness Recovery…posted here on 1-22-21. This is a very good brief reading on important considerations for nutritional support for mitochondria during and after an illness, particularly an illness which requires a stay in an ICU.
- Vitamin K2 and GG Mitigate Insulin Resistance by Improving Mitochondrial Function…”Considering dietary vitamin K2 intake is insufficient in the standard American diet or in Western pattern diets, supplementation may not only support mitochondrial and musculoskeletal health, but it may also contribute to healthy blood sugar regulation.” The term GG refers to geranylgeraniol which is a good supplement to use for more graceful aging.
- What is the Cell Danger Response…posted here on 6-28-23 is a Substack writing from the writer known as A Midwestern Doctor. Summary…The Cell Danger Response is an evolutionarily conserved adaptation cells use to protect themselves from environmental stressors. Mitochondria orchestrate the CDR by first detecting a threat and then switching from powering the cell to shutting it down to protect the cell from danger. Many complex illnesses result from a chronically sustained CDR that prevents the cells from their normal functionality. Therapies which address the CDR are often necessary to treat a variety of complex illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, autism, and COVID-19 vaccine injuries.